Massive waves again draw huge crowds to the Wedge

Spectators watch a set of 20-foot waves at the wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday morning as large swells from Hurricane Marie continued to roll in. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Large swells from hurricane Marie continue to roll into Corona del Mar State Beach on Thursday. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Bodyboarders are hit by whitewash at the edge of the beach at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday as large swells from Hurricane Marie continued to roll in. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Derric Laub trains his lens on bodyboarders riding the waves at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday morning as large swells from Hurricane Marie continued to roll in. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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A bodyboarder falls down a wave face at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday morning as large swells from Hurricane Marie continued to roll in. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Ocean mist settles in on the southern Orange County coastline Thursday morning as large swells from Hurricane Marie continue to roll into Corona del Mar State Beach in Newport Beach. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Newport Beach lifeguards Chris Bernard, left, and Peter Belden spot a surfer, Stefano Buralli of Peru, in trouble and heading close to the jetty at the Wedge on Thursday morning as large swells from Hurricane Marie continued to roll in. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Newport Beach lifeguard Chris Bernard jumps into the water with Peter Belden close behind as they spot a surfer, Stefano Buralli of Peru, in trouble and heading close to the jetty at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday as large swells from Hurricane Marie continued to roll in. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Surfer Stefano Buralli of Peru thanks Newport Beach lifeguard Chris Bernard after helping him back to shore after he drifted too close to the rocks while trying to recover his loose board at the Wedge on Thursday morning. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Newport Beach lifeguard Peter Belden gets the attention of spectators at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday morning as large swells from Hurricane Marie continued to roll in. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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A bodyboarder catches a good ride at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday morning as large swells from Hurricane Marie continued to roll in. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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A bodyboarder tries to retrieve his board stuck inside the jetty rocks with help from others as a wave crashes in at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday morning. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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A bodyboarder takes flight as he exits a wave at the wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday morning as large swells from Hurricane Marie continued to roll in. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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A bodyboarder flips off a wave at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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A bodysurfer drops in on a wave positioning himself at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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A bodysurfer drops in on a wave at the Wedge in Newport Beach on Thursday morning. KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

CATALINA RECOVERING

Thursday was a cleanup day on Catalina Island, where huge surf on Wednesday damaged boats and piers and washed over a pedestrian walkway.

But city officials said Thursday that the damage shouldn't be a problem for Labor Day visitors.

"We're open for business," said Avalon City Manager Ben Harvey. "We don't want people to be dissuaded from coming over."

The Catalina Express, a boat to Catalina Island from Long Beach and San Pedro, is back on schedule after several cancellations, according to the company.

Huge-if-slightly-smaller waves, messy beaches, and an anti-scammer contingent that included armed guards in Seal Beach were all part of the aftermath Thursday to one of the great Orange County surf days in recent history.

As Hurricane Marie spun out more than 800 miles off the Baja coast, the local surf calmed only slightly from the 8- to 25-foot waves that hit the county a day earlier, with waves as big as 20 feet pounding some south-facing beaches.

The waves are expected to continue only a gradual downturn over the next few days, setting up a Labor Day weekend with a potentially lethal combination of huge crowds, hot weather and still powerful surf.

Here are a few slices from the coastline on Thursday.

BEACHES TRASHED

Bodysurfer Tim Burnham couldn’t believe his eyes as he walked up to the Wedge before sunrise Thursday morning.

Yes, the waves were still pounding his favorite surf spot. That, he expected.

But, surprisingly, the beach itself was a mess, with after-party style garbage left behind by the crowds who’d swarmed the place a day earlier.

Thousands of people, most with no intention of getting wet, flooded the area Wednesday when news reports pointed out that the Wedge would be getting the biggest waves during the biggest swell in years.

People waited hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic just to get to the end of Balboa Peninsula and catch a get glimpse of 20-to-25-foot waves. They hooted and hollered for the surfers dropping down into building-sized barrels.

Then, after they enjoyed the show, many of the gawkers apparently tossed their trash into the sand.

Trash bins filled up quickly, Burnham said, but that’s no excuse for people to leave their mess behind.

“It’s pathetic,” he said. “People don’t have any respect.

“We don’t go to other places and dump our trash. Everyone is welcome to come down and watch the action, but you’re not welcome to trash our beach.”

On Thursday, big crowds again hit the Wedge and its surrounding neighborhood, a cluster of residential streets with virtually no excess parking.

The city did what it could to manage the situation.

“Officers will have a heavy presence ... to ensure vehicles keep moving and do not block roads,” a city-written press release read Thursday.

“Visitors are encouraged not to drive to the peninsula, but to use public transportation, bicycle, or walk to the area.”

The Wedge Preservation Society will host a cleanup at the beach at 10 a.m. Friday. It is open to the public.

SWELL STILL STRONG

Even after being downgraed to a tropical storm, Marie was still producing monster waves locally on Thursday, though the messy, jumbled shape of those waves made them hard to ride.

Huntington Beach saw waves of 7- to 9-feet, while Newport Beach saw a big range of waves – 2-to-3 feet at the mellow Blackies, near Newport Pier, and up to 20 foot a few miles up at the Wedge.

An area south of Newport Pier was still producing epic rides Thursday, and spectators like Bill Spurgeon looked on from shore.

“I watch these guys paddle out and I get tired ... thinking ‘Oh my God, I used to do that all the time’,” said Spurgeon, a 70-year-old who has been surfing Newport for more than 50 years.

Surfer Greg Giddings woke up Thursday with sore arms from battling big surf a day earlier. But that didn’t stop him from grabbing his board for another go as the swell held up. The surf was down a bit, but the water was crystal clear and the shape was better.

“I was thinking ‘Do I even have the arm strength to get back out there’?” said the financial adviser, who was taking a break from work.

“I figure, hey, this is going to be around today and (Friday). After that, we’ll have to wait around for the next one.”

WARNING TO SCAMMERS

Even as water was still flooding into homes, people looking for ways to benefit from the damage came flooding into Seal Beach.

Contractors handed out cards to homeowners looking to fix the damage caused by the flooding that hit several beachfront homes late Tuesday night.

But many homeowners might not know the rules when hiring someone to help.

Nancy Kincaid, spokesperson for the California Department of Insurance, walked door-to-door – along with 10 armed and uniformed police officers – with a message: No scam artists allowed.

“We know that the people are vulnerable, they are upset and traumatized,” Kincaid said. “Damage like this is devastating, and we know people are taking advantage of them. ... We know they come in, and they know we are here watching.”

Kincaid and her crew educate homeowners about making sure contractors have a license, because in a disaster area it’s a felony to hire someone without one. Homeowners also have to make sure their contractors have a workers’ compensation policy, if not, the homeowner could be on the hook.

“We’ve seen people lose their homes because someone was injured on the job,” Kincaid said.

Others might not know that flood insurance often doesn’t cover natural disasters, like the wave surge of Tuesday night. Homeowners should have separate policies for it to be covered.

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